De Ligt | €45+5m agreement reached pending medical | Signed!

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If we're concerned about fitness issues could we not give him a lower base salary and a higher appearance fee?

Give him a base salary of £125k per week, and then a high appearance fee so that if he ends up playing every match in a season for us he would end up at around £250k per week.

This ensures that he only gets his current big wages if he A: stays fit, and B: plays well enough to keep earning his squad selection - which are people's concerns right now.
 
Too many red flags for me. Unless we can get him on loan or a heavily incentivised deal, I'd steer clear. His wages are enormous.
 
Leftback99 said:
Does it look comfortably a top 6 side? Compare it to City, Liverpool, Arsenal, Chelsea, Villa, Spurs even before they all make their own improvements.

Personally I'd say not, outside of that is mid table.
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I think it does, but I also like to look at the whole squad instead of just a proposed eleven.
 
Rojofiam said:
I'm optimistic, because I think the Glazers' incompetence was so detrimental to the club, that even a half-decent new owner can make a huge difference to the results on the pitch. It might take 2 or 3 years, but Ineos' job isn't as difficult as some people would have you believe. Another reason I'm optimistic is because I think our current squad is way better than most people realize, and certainly way better, than 8th in the league.
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I think you're right. The team needs a couple of top players, but give us a season without an injury crisis and less criminal charges and we probably do okay.
 
whitbyviking said:
I’d agree with this too, and hopefully some fresh ideas in the coaching staff stops ETH turning into his own worst enemy. I saw Steve Mc’s influence in a lot of our games last year. He had success at Middlesbrough but he often had a team containing Viduka, Hasselbaink, Yakuba and Maccarone struggling to score. Come to think of it I would love that forward line at United right now.
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If we manage to avoid an injury crisis next season, with also 4 or 5 new players added, and we'll somehow still be 15th according to expected points and other underlying stats, then ETH is probably not surviving for long. However, I'm expecting a refreshed and reinvigorated manager, squad and coaching staff.
 
Rojofiam said:
I understand your concerns, I have some myself, but this isn't mid-table.

Onana is a top 2 ball-playing keeper in the league behind Ederson. Every successful team plays with a technical keeper these days bar maybe PSG and Madrid, but that's also down to them not needing one for their respective domestic leagues.

Dalot has been one of the best right backs in the league.

If de Ligt is a 24 year old Maguire that we can get for 40-50m, that's great business. CBs of that level and pre-peak age come for 60-80m these days.

Martínez doesn't need me praising him, we all know how good he is. Same with Mainoo.

Shaw is arguably the best left back in world football, but needs to be managed carefully to avoid injuries.

Fernandes is a top 2 chance creation machine behind KDB in world football.

Hojlund is one of the biggest U21 striker prospects around.

Amad and Garnacho have both shown big promise and at the very least they are two solid PL wingers who can absolutely contribute massively for a top 6 team.

Ugarte definitely improves the current side, whether or not he's a player who can regularly start for a PL / CL contender.

Maybe mid-table has a different meaning for you?
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Aside from the new players suggested, it literally finished mid table.
 
Man Utd needs to buy players who peak when Guardiola leaves city. Players who are 26-29 in 2 years are perfect.
Yes it would be amazing if Man Utd next season suddenly could push City and Guardiola but it will just not happen.
So getting 20 year old prospects is ok, 30 year olds certainly makes no sense and players in De Ligts age range are perfect.

If the club is clever they build a squad peaking in 2026 which still can get 2025 savely a Championsleague spot. I think it is coming together quite good for that goal. De Ligt can be one more corner stone for Man Utd in that matter.

If you consider what in 2 years time would be needed to have a very good squad and who will be useless by then, it should make an interesting exercise inchecking who Man Utd should get now to peak in 2026.

Just Defense:
Varane 31
Maguire 31
Lindelöf 30 (in 2 weeks)
Evans 36
Shaw 29 ( in 2 weeks)

In 2 years they are all done for (if not already).
So you have in 2026 Martinez and Kambwala as CD.
Malacia, Williams, Dalot, Wan-Bissaka as right and left backs.
 
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Hammondo said:
Aside from the new players suggested, it literally finished mid table.
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The system and environment was dysfunctional due to a lot of reasons. You could put any, widely regarded as a world class player into last season's United and 90% of them would look worse than they really are. You can't really judge any player on a season like last one. Most of Chelsea's squad is also easily top 6 quality, despite having finished 12th in 2022/23. It's more complex than just league positions.
 
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Hammondo said:
Aside from the new players suggested, it literally finished mid table.
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To be honest, we were without Shaw and Martinez for the majority of the season, and we had Bruno delivering some of his worst performances ever in the United shirt for the first half of the season. It's pretty much the same team that finished 3rd the season before.
 
Captain Dangernoodle said:
To be honest, we were without Shaw and Martinez for the majority of the season, and we had Bruno delivering some of his worst performances ever in the United shirt for the first half of the season. It's pretty much the same team that finished 3rd the season before.
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But in reality Shaw and marintez are likely to be injured, at least a decent proportion of the season.
 
Rojofiam said:
The system and environment was dysfunctional due to a lot of reasons. You could put any, widely regarded as a world class player into last season's United and 90% of them would look worse than they really are. You can't really judge any player on a season like last one. Most of Chelsea's squad is also easily top 6 quality, despite having finished 12th in 2022/23. It's more complex than just league positions.
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Well it's the same manager next season.
 
Hammondo said:
Well it's the same manager next season.
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Yes, and I see 3 outcomes.

1. The system will suddenly work with new CBs and DMs.

2. He reverts to his more pragmatic approach which finished 3rd in 2022/23, and won the FA Cup final in 2023/24.

3. It still doesn't work and he gets sacked.
 
Leftback99 said:
They all have good squads too.
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I think all this talk comparing squads is very premature this early in the transfer window, especially with keeping in mind that we will sign at least 4 players, but possibly even 5 or 6.

However, Arsenal and City do have good squads and we won't reach their level next season.

Chelsea could still be a mess next season. It's impossible to predict how things will go for them at this point.

Liverpool will almost certainly regress, and have two irreplaceable players that are going to decline very soon in VVD and Salah, on top of losing Klopp.

I wouldn't say Spurs, Villa or Newcastle have better squads or starting elevens than we do.
 
I appreciate the concerns people have but it’s really difficult not to get excited at this potential signing, doesn’t sound like it’s advanced yet so won’t get my hopes up but would really enjoy having him as part of the squad.
 
I have two concerns with the idea of De Ligt.

Firstly, I really think we need some genuine pace at the back. The criteria we should be prioritising in a new CB are pace, aerial dominance and proactiveness - De Ligt only covers 2 of those 3. He’d be a slight improvement on Maguire and Lindelof - because I think he is less passive than either, but he’s just as slow which leaves us with many of the same issues.

Secondly, after everything that’s happened at the end of this season, my gut says a Ten Hag who was reflective and acknowledging of the criticism he’s received, and who was serious about turning things around, would be running a mile from signing another player he’s worked with before. It just feels like he’s setting himself up for more unnecessary abuse and leaves me wondering if he takes any of the other criticisms seriously either.
 
I think he’d be fine for you. He’s a good player and seems like a good character. He‘s just not world class.
 
This place absolutely hated the news of us seriously considering Bruno or Martinez back then so I wouldn't take the opinions here too highly. I actually have no doubt that this place would even moan about us signing prime Messi.

Taking shots at Ornstein's credibility and competency as a journalist definitely takes the cake here though.
 
Leftback99 said:
Which part is so wrong?
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De Ligt is better than Maguire. Ugarte is better than Amrabat. These two facts are ones I never thought I'd have to say.

diarm said:
I have two concerns with the idea of De Ligt.

Firstly, I really think we need some genuine pace at the back. The criteria we should be prioritising in a new CB are pace, aerial dominance and proactiveness - De Ligt only covers 2 of those 3. He’d be a slight improvement on Maguire and Lindelof - because I think he is less passive than either, but he’s just as slow which leaves us with many of the same issues.

Secondly, after everything that’s happened at the end of this season, my gut says a Ten Hag who was reflective and acknowledging of the criticism he’s received, and who was serious about turning things around, would be running a mile from signing another player he’s worked with before. It just feels like he’s setting himself up for more unnecessary abuse and leaves me wondering if he takes any of the other criticisms seriously either.
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He'd be a massive improvement, not a slight one. I don't think he's slow, but he is better defending in the box than the halfway line, so maybe you're right there.
 
Leftback99 said:
What happened to people wanting pace at the back?
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Why are you so obsessed with pace? Dalot and Shaw are very quick, anyway.

Isn't it important that we buy centre backs that are great in possession and defending, first and foremost?

What pacy centre back available is better than De Ligt?
 
didz said:
De Ligt is better than Maguire. Ugarte is better than Amrabat. These two facts are ones I never thought I'd have to say.



He'd be a massive improvement, not a slight one. I don't think he's slow, but he is better defending in the box than the halfway line, so maybe you're right there.
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They aren't 'facts'.

Also I didn't say Ugarte wasn't better than Amrabat (I've never seen him play). All I said was that people were similarly raving over Amrabat last summer in these fantasy XIs.
 
Leftback99 said:
Does it look comfortably a top 6 side? Compare it to City, Liverpool, Arsenal, Chelsea, Villa, Spurs even before they all make their own improvements.

Personally I'd say not, outside of that is mid table.
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To be fair, in August 2022 none of us would’ve considered Arsenal a consecutive top 4 side, let alone a consecutive top 2 side.
Absolutely none of us considered Villa a top 4 side in August 2023.
Spurs post Kane were written off by everyone.

You simply can’t look at a side on paper and judge, confidence, form, momentum, and improvements from young or new players can’t be judged on paper.
 
Captain Dangernoodle said:
Why are you so obsessed with pace? Dalot and Shaw are very quick, anyway.

Isn't it important that we buy centre backs that are great in possession and defending, first and foremost?

What pacy centre back available is better than De Ligt?
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He has a point. Yeah our fullbacks are quick, but that doesn't help on counters. Maybe a CB with pace would have helped the last year?
 
didz said:
De Ligt is better than Maguire.

He'd be a massive improvement, not a slight one.
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I think that’s easy to say, and is always said about shiny new transfers, but I just don’t think the evidence backs it up.

He has some of the same weaknesses as Maguire - the lack of pace and being especially slow on the turn being chief among them.

He’s slightly better on the ball than Harry and he’s more a proactive defender, but based on his performances of the last 3 or 4 seasons, he wouldn’t be a signing who could change the way we play.
 
He’s got age on his side but is he a better player than Varane? will be on similar money if not more and a very patchy injury record it doesn’t feel like a good fit on the surface
 
Castia said:
He’s got age on his side but is he a better player than Varane? will be on similar money if not more and a very patchy injury record it doesn’t feel like a good fit on the surface
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After Owen Hargreaves, I would be wary of buying anyone from Bayern.
 
Captain Dangernoodle said:
Why are you so obsessed with pace? Dalot and Shaw are very quick, anyway.

Isn't it important that we buy centre backs that are great in possession and defending, first and foremost?

What pacy centre back available is better than De Ligt?
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Obsessed? Not me. But it's the most repeated reason people say we can't play a high line with current players.
 
Adnan said:
Of course ten Hag wanted Antony, I've never disputed that.

But if you see the links posted below and I've also shared references from a tier 1 Sao Paolo based journo in the past who is very reliable on players from Sao Paolo. It's clear that United's football department walked away from a deal for Antony at £40m only for the Glazers to then sign the player after back to back defeats to Brighton and Brentford. So the football department that was working with a budget of £120m for the majority of the window, suddenly found themselves with a extra €100m because the Glazers wanted to be seen as backing the manager in his first transfer window at the club and hence alleviate some of the heat that was coming their way via the media and fans.



https://x.com/DevildetailsMU/status/1738120626093638036?t=nqAEA_elyiVh2FnABIPxig&s=19

https://x.com/lauriewhitwell/status/1565090623740383235?t=4u5F6SoCrJ5mm3CY9T7g8g&s=19



And here's what Maldini said about his time at Milan under their American owners which tells you that the DoF isn't necessarily involved in the contracts or the negotiations. And what he's saying makes me think we have been going through a similar problem with the Glazers.


https://x.com/IFTVofficial/status/1730667352931336212?t=yd37zHlaV4psR0gB_HWNig&s=19
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If I was to guess, I'd say the likes of Murtough and Woodward went back to the Glazers and asked for more money. I don't think the Glazers would have specifically told the club "we need to sign Antony and here's the money to do it". I doubt they even knew who Antony was.

I mean, Ten Hag wanted to sign Antony, but sanctioning the outlay came from above...isn't that how every club works? No manager signs off on money. And it's not on finance guys to say if they're worth it. Ten Hag and everyone 100% knew what we were paying for him, and that it was beyond the budget allocated.
 
Leftback99 said:
They aren't 'facts'.

Also I didn't say Ugarte wasn't better than Amrabat (I've never seen him play). All I said was that people were similarly raving over Amrabat last summer in these fantasy XIs.
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Okay, so we're just talking about De Ligt and Maguire. You can't possibly defend your position.
 
HTG said:
Somewhere in the range of 50 million would sound about right. Maybe a little less.
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Hm yeah I think that’s probably about right, I don’t know how I feel about it and agree with some suspicion. :lol:
 
Captain Dangernoodle said:
Why are you so obsessed with pace? Dalot and Shaw are very quick, anyway.

Isn't it important that we buy centre backs that are great in possession and defending, first and foremost?

What pacy centre back available is better than De Ligt?
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Neither Dalot nor Shaw possess the sort of elite level pace you need to cover for slow centre backs. De Ligt/Maguire and Martinez would be fine if you had a Kyle Walker at right back to provide that last ditch cover for a high defensive line, but we don’t have that.

Call it obsessed all you like, but when we sign another slow defender and next year we see the line constantly dropping deeper, creating bigger gaps between defence and midfield again, you will know why.
 
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